The Doppelganger
by GreatKateZonkeyMachine
Summary: On a voyage plotting the migration patterns of the cloud cats, Matt and Kate inadvertantly fly over the Wall into Stormhold. Now they must return home, but that's going to be rather complicated if people mistake Kate for a fallen star.
1. A Conditional Expedition

Author's Note: **I hope somebody out there knows both Matt Cruse and Stardust, so that I'll get at least one review. Anyway, it was a hard decision for me to write this in third person; normally I would've written in it first person, because that just seems like the only way to write Matt Cruse, but this story's got so many subplots it would've been impossible to write without a more omniscient POV. It really is quite comical—I have to re-type literally every sentence because I keep forgetting and writing it in first person.**

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><p>Disclaimer: <strong>I don't own <strong>_**Stardust**_** or the Matt Cruse series.**

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><p>Chapter Warnings: <strong>One very mild expletive. Mention of kissing, for you nitpickers out there.<strong>

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><p>...<p>

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><p><em>Herein lies the beginning of Part One of the story "The Doppelganger." Part One focuses chiefly on the journey of Matthew Cruse and Katherine de Vries over the village of Wall and into the fantastical kingdom of Stormhold. In Stormhold, a series of unfortunate events will lead to disaster and tragedy, and to the descent of one of the young explorers into darkness.<em>

_Part One is the Star. Part One is_ Cloudchaser.

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><p>Sitting in his family's beautiful house in Kitsilano, in his bedroom, the window open wide, a pile of mail on his lap, Matt Cruse felt pretty good. Matt's eighteenth birthday had been two days ago, and the post was so full of cards from family members, admirers, and brownnosers that his mother had given him the whole pile to sift through. In fact, nearly everything in the mail was addressed personally to him.<p>

The first three were birthday cards—one from his aunt and uncle in Toronto, one from the prime minister of Canada himself, and one from a young woman he'd never heard of in his life named Dilys Watson. He set these aside, on top of a letter sent from Victoria by his friend Tobias. He moved on to a cream-colored card with a fancy gold border. It said, in script so loopy it was nearly impossible to make out: _You are cordially invited to join us as a Guest of Honor at the Lionsgate Museum of Zoology & Botanical Sciences for the Formspring Gala at eleven o'clock Sunday evening, 27__th__ August._ Matt shook his head bemusedly at it, wondering what this gala was for and why on Earth they had invited him as a guest of honor.

The last was a short letter from his inamorata, Kate de Vries. It had come adorned with a proper seal on the envelope. He'd read this one so many times that the edges were smudged from his fingerprints.

_Dear Matt,_

_Happy birthday. I got an invitation from the Zoological Society in the mail inviting me to the gala at the museum this Sunday. They told me you were getting one too. You did, didn't you?_

_Anyway, I think this has something to do with one of_—here the word _my _had been thoroughly inked out—_our discoveries. Aerozoans or etherians or something. But you ought to know that my parents are coming too._

Mr. and Mrs. de Vries were a very wealthy couple who were extremely…protective, to put it kindly…of their daughter. Kate and Matt had kept their relationship secret from them for two years, but after their last trip together, there was no hiding it anymore—because Kate was not only his inamorata now, she was his fiancée. He had only seen Charles de Vries and his wife one time, and that was before they knew about Kate and him.

_I'm just telling you this to give you a heads-up. I have no doubt that my parents will adore you, but I didn't want you to be surprised at the gala. Make sure you put on a good face for them, and for the Zoological Society, and all the guests, and everyone else for that matter._

_See you soon. Can't wait!_

_Love,_

_Kate_

Matt chuckled at her anxiety and ran his thumb over the word "love." Two days and he'd be at the gala—he'd be with Kate.

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><p>The grand ballroom of the Lionsgate Museum of Zoology and Botanical Sciences was enormous, and generously furnished. The closest Matt had been to a place like this was the ballroom of the Hotel Lionsgate, and that had been for a very momentous occasion indeed. So Matt couldn't help but feel rather nervous as he walked inside tonight.<p>

He was wearing his old Airship Academy uniform, which still fitted him because he seemed to have stopped growing at seventeen, to his disappointment. His sisters had wanted to come, but his mother didn't think children of their age were very appropriate at the gala, so she had stayed home with them, leaving Matt to go on his own. Now, looking at all the elegant, formal guests, he thought she was probably right. Not one of them looked younger than thirty, and he felt very conspicuous at eighteen.

He didn't really know what to do first, so he began to meander about aimlessly, trying to look like he had some notion of where he was going. When he caught sight of a long table covered by a spotless white tablecloth and laden with refreshments, he immediately went over and poured himself a glass of punch, just so he could have something to do with his hands other than thrusting them into his pockets.

"Why, there he is—the man of the hour, Mr. Cruse!"

It was Kate's father. He was walking up to Matt with Mrs. de Vries beaming on his arm, and of course Matt had no way of escaping. Mr. de Vries clapped his shoulder in greeting. "Good to see you again, sir," Matt said in what he hoped sounded like an enthusiastic tone.

"And you, and you," the nobleman replied.

Mrs. de Vries extended a feminine, white-gloved hand. "How charming to finally meet you, Mr. Cruse—Kate's told us so much about you."

Matt chuckled uncomfortably. "H-has she?"

"But of course!" Mr. and Mrs. de Vries both seemed so approving of him; it was quite surprising. "_Quite _a frightening business, _quite_ a frightening business _indeed_, that whole affair with Vikram Szpirglas. And then there was that expedition on the _Starclimber_—Kate tells us that we have you to thank for her safe return!"

He smiled modestly. "Well, it was mostly Captain Walken's outstanding direction that got us home."

Mr. de Vries adopted a slightly less approving expression. "Of course, there _was_ that little incident with the suffragettes."

Matt felt himself growing hot around the ears. A year ago, he had been arrested in Kate's company after she had viciously smashed a shop window in a revolt for the right of women's suffrage. A cameraman had gotten a photograph of him in the jail cell with Kate, which had appeared in the newspaper the following morning. He very nearly shuddered at the memory.

Matt was saved the discomfort of answering. "But I suppose all your other remarkable feats more than make up for that little snag," Mr. de Vries said conclusively.

Matt exhaled.

"Mrs. de Vries and myself think you are a very appropriate suitor for our daughter," he went on.

His wife chimed in, "And you and Kate know each other so well—she told us all about how you took care of her while you were watch officer aboard the _Aurora_."

It was fortuitous that Matt hadn't already taken another gulp of punch, because he would have choked on it. He lowered his cup in a shaking hand and said lightly, "I'm sorry?"

"You remember! Three years ago, when you were serving as a watch officer on the _Aurora_. An impressively young age for such a post, I must say—Captain Walken thinks ever so highly of you," Mrs. de Vries said warmly.

Matt was beginning to feel quite sick. "Where _is_ Kate?" he asked evenly, trying to seem like he was only making polite conversation.

"Oh, she wandered off somewhere to go talk to a colleague," said Mr. de Vries. "Speaking of which, I think I see the mayor over there by that window. It was delightful chatting with you again, Mr. Cruse." And with that, he and his wife swept off to bootlick the mayor of Lionsgate City.

Matt stalked through the merry crowd, shrugging off the many people who came up to shake his hand, his eyes trained for the slight figure of Kate de Vries. When he finally found her, she was alone at the punch table pouring something into a glass. She looked up and saw him, and she let out a little exclamation of joy. "Matt!" she said, her eyes glowing. "You're—"

"Come with me," Matt said roughly, and took her hand.

He led her out onto the balcony, where he was sure they would not be overheard. The two of them leaned with false casualness on the stone railing that overlooked the cool Lionsgate City night.

"Did you tell your parents I was the watch officer on the _Aurora_?" he asked bluntly.

Three years ago, before he had become well-known and well-respected and promising-futured, he had worked on a luxury passenger airliner called the _Aurora._ It was indeed on the _Aurora_ that he'd first met Kate, but not as watch officer—as _cabin boy._

Her eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, Matt, I… Yes. I did."

"_Why?_"

"You know perfectly well. My parents would never have let me marry you if they knew you had nothing better to go back to than Captain Walken's recommendation and a job as a cabin boy—or maybe junior sailmaker—after you left the Academy. They'd tell me you held no future for me, and they'd put a stop to it."

"Don't they read the paper?"

"Actually, the story that came out about you only mentioned that you _worked_ on the _Aurora_, it never said what your exact job was."

"And Miss Simpkins?"

Miss Simpkins was Kate's chaperone. She had accompanied Kate on every one of their adventures to date (aside from the voyage to outer space), and it was very hard for Kate to keep secrets from her for too long.

Kate's eyes sparkled mischievously. "She… Well, she knew that I _told_ them about it, but she didn't know exactly _what_ I told them."

Matt did not smile. "What were you planning to do when I finished the Academy?"

"Well, by that time I'll already be eighteen years old."

"So what?"

"I'm legally an adult when I turn eighteen. I can marry whomever I see fit, no matter what my parents think. I never thought this secret would last _forever_; I fully intend to tell them after my birthday."

"That you lied to them. For three years."

"Well, yes, if you put it that way."

Matt laughed humorlessly. "Kate, there _is_ no other way to put it! What will your parents say when you finally go straight with them?"

"They might disown me," said Kate in a quiet voice. "Or cut me off."

"Exactly! You won't have any money of your own right after you turn eighteen. You'll still need their support."

Kate didn't deflate—on the contrary, she looked ecstatic. "You and I have a habit of coming back from our little vacations with sacks full of gold."

Matt almost wanted to slap her. "You can't _depend_ on that to save your life!"

"Well, perhaps Mother and Daddy will be alright with it—speaking of saving my life, do you know how many times _you've_ saved my life? Because I do, and so do my parents. I don't think they'll forget what you've accomplished, even when they find out that you were a cabin boy on the _Aurora_."

He nodded. "Then it's settled. We're going to find them right now and tell them the truth."

"Nothing's settled!" said Kate at once. "This has to be done delicately."

"You are so good at mucking things up for me," said Matt bitterly. "It's not just about money and freedom, Kate. You know, I did actually hope for your parents to _like_ me a little bit. I…" He didn't know exactly what to say next. "Damn it, Kate!" he said angrily, a little louder than he probably should have. "This is a fine mess you've got us into."

"I know," said Kate apologetically. "I'm sorry, Matt."

"There's really no way to do it _delicately_ at this point. We just have to grit our teeth and _do_ it."

Kate looked resigned. "I suppose you're right…"

"For once," he said coldly.

She sighed. "Well, we might as well do it now."

She laced her fingers through Matt's and they walked back into the house through the huge doors. Before they could locate Kate's parents over the heads of the crowd, however, another man hailed them on the threshold of the balcony.

"There you are! Mr. Cruse, Miss de Vries—it's been so long." Two very familiar people were walking over to them and offering their hands to be wrung: Hugh Snuffler and John McKinnon. Matt had been expecting this; Sir Hugh was, after all, the head of the Zoological Society. Still, Matt and Kate were none too pleased to see him.

"Good to see you, Sir John," Matt said as they grasped wrists. "Sir Hugh."

"Mm," said Sir Hugh vaguely. He kept his eyes averted from Kate, who pursed her lips.

"We've been looking all over for you two," said Sir John.

"Why's that, sir?"

"Well, you see..." Sir John lowered his voice confidentially, so that Kate and Matt leaned in to hear. "We're planning a special expedition very soon—a zoological exploration of sorts."

Sir John was the Canadian Minister of Air, which didn't entirely explain his involvement in a simple "zoological exploration." Matt glanced over at Kate and saw that she was listening with rapt attention.

"What kind of zoological exploration?" she asked eagerly; Matt could tell this was exactly what Sir John had wanted her to say.

"Well, it concerns one of your recent discoveries," he explained. "The cloud cat, to be precise."

Now Matt was interested as well. He had been significantly involved in the discovery of cloud cats—in fact, one of them had tried to eat him on several occasions.

"We know from your research that they only periodically return to the island in the Pacificus," Sir John went on, "and we're very interested in learning where else they go."

Kate was grinning now, and so was Matt. They saw where Sir John was going with this.

"We know the general direction; every year, we've seen them flying in an easterly direction. But that's the predictable part."

Matt nodded. "The winds would carry them east."

Sir John tapped his nose. "What we don't know is where they migrate to _after_ they depart.

"They're not terribly timid creatures," he went on, "They congregated around our airship last time we saw them. But we're still concerned that ornithopters would be too loud and rickety; they might scare them off course. We know how well-camouflaged they are, and how swiftly they fly. We need a faster, more maneuverable means of aviation than airships, but ordinary ornithopters are out of the question as well. So we've constructed a new, modified version of the ornithopter—one that makes no sound."

"Impossible!" Kate said, delighted.

"Not so, Miss de Vries," said Sir John, smiling. "We've done it. Piloting it is relatively similar to piloting any normal ornithopter, and we happen to know that you're trained to fly ornithopters."

"I am," Kate agreed, grinning from ear to ear.

"I assume you know what I'm going to say next," said Sir John humorously. "Sir Hugh and a team of zoologists are going on an expedition aboard one of our airships, which will also be carrying one of these special ornithopters—and we'd like you two to come along. Are you interested?"

Kate's smile faltered. "Sir Hugh?"

Sir Hugh spoke up for the first time. "Yes, Miss de Vries, this expedition is a little whim of mine, and Sir John is humoring me. However, since you and Mr. Cruse were the first to work with cloud cats, and since I know how admirably you both behaved on the _Starclimber_, we've agreed to invite you as well."

Now Kate's cheeks were flushing. "_Invite_ us?" she said icily.

"Yes." Sir Hugh was smiling broadly. "If you are not satisfied with our terms, or do not wish to come, we shall have to manage without you."

"But we are most adamant that you _do_ come!" Sir John said hastily. "It is our dearest wish—"

"Kate! There you are."

Two new people had joined their party: Mr. and Mrs. de Vries.

"Why, Sir John!" said Charles de Vries. "Sir Hugh! How charming."

"We were just discussing an expedition we're planning to take on the Pacificus, Mr. de Vries," said Sir John.

"We're tracking the migration patterns of cloud cats," said Sir Hugh, "a really marvelous discovery by your plucky daughter here."

Kate's eyes flashed, and _plucky_ was not one of the words Matt thought of to describe her at the moment.

"And you were hoping Kate could join you?" said Mrs. de Vries.

Sir John gave her a brilliant smile. "We were—but of course, we need your permission."

"Well, of course she'll do it!" Matt was taken aback by the enthusiasm in Mr. de Vries's voice. "And we'll come too."

Matt and Kate stared. "Y-you'll what?" said Kate, horrified.

"We'll come with you!" Mr. de Vries said jovially. "I daresay it'll be an interesting experience."

"But... But, Father," Kate stuttered, "won't you have to...um..."

"Naturally, the expedition will only be for two weeks or so," Sir John assured them. "Surely you won't be missing anything important?"

"When is it?" asked Mrs. de Vries.

"We depart early on the morning of the fifth of September," Sir Hugh answered.

Matt's heart sank. The seventh was Kate's eighteenth birthday; he'd been hoping to do something just the two of them.

Kate, it seemed, was not troubled by this at least. "What a stupendous way to spend my birthday!" she exclaimed.

"Then it's settled," declared Mr. de Vries. "Kate, Mrs. de Vries, Mr. Cruse, and I will meet you at the departure time packed and ready to go at the Lionsgate City Aeroport."

"Splendid!" said Sir John happily. "We will see you in nine days' time."

"Well," said Sir Hugh, "first I'll see them on the stage."

Matt frowned. The stage? "Why will you see us onstage?"

Sir John winked. "You'll see in a moment, son."

Sir John departed with Sir Hugh, and soon after Kate's parents went off to the dance floor. Kate watched them for a moment, and then turned to Matt expectantly.

He'd been dreading this. He had danced with Kate only one time before, and that had not been in a ballroom full of strangers. "Er, Kate..."

"Oh, come on, Matt—it'll be fun!"

Tugging a little bit too hard on his arm, Kate caused Matt to stumble and spill his drink all over the front of his uniform. He almost dropped the cup—it was icy-cold—and Kate put her hands to her mouth, horror-struck. "Oh, Matt, I'm so sorry! Here, let me help you clean it up—"

"Perhaps we shouldn't be dancing if I'm this clumsy tonight," said Matt as he mopped up his shirt.

"Fine," said Kate mischievously, bending to pick up Matt's cup, "but you owe me one."

He agreed. He wasn't exactly thrilled about owing Kate a dance, but it was better than having to go onto the dance floor and waltz with her right now.

Kate turned their conversation to her parents, and the secret she had been keeping from them. "Do you still think I should tell them the truth?"

"I suppose not," Matt said, resigned. "Not if they can forbid you from going to the island."

"We'll tell them after the expedition," Kate decided. "Alright?"

"We'll tell them _during_ the expedition," said Matt. "Maybe if they're forced to spend a couple of weeks with me on an airship, they'll learn to live with me."

They stood together and watched Kate's parents twirl about a little stiffly for a while, making polite smalltalk. What he _really_ wanted to do was kiss her; they hadn't had a chance for several days. But that, of course, was socially unacceptable at a formal gala like this one.

After a few minutes, the music stopped. A spotlight struck the raised wooden platform against one wall. Matt saw a large projection screen lowering itself behind the rotund man who was walking onto the stage. With a start, Matt recognized the man as Sir Hugh Snuffler.

"Ladies and gentleman," he said loudly, clapping his hands together, "thank you all very much for coming to the Formspring Gala here at the Lionsgate Museum of Zoology and Botanical Sciences!"

Smattered clapping, as the guests turned their attention to Sir Hugh's presentation.

"I am happy to announce that the Lionsgate Museum is now home to the very first official exhibit"—he gave just the slightest emphasis on "official"—"concerning the magnificent _chiroptheia panthero—_or, as it is more commonly known, cloud cat."

Matt smiled as more applause rippled through the audience. Exchanging a glance with Kate, visions of the cloud cats' island, and the very first one they'd ever seen, danced through his mind.

A light flickered into existence, projecting a blurry photograph on the screen behind Sir Hugh, who raised his chubby arm to direct the audience's attentions to it. Matt recognized it as one of the photos Kate had taken of a cloud cat's skeleton.

"As I'm sure you're all aware," said the eminent zoologist onstage, "the cloud cat was a few years ago by Miss Kate de Vries, who I am delighted to inform you is standing in this very room."

"That's not true," said Kate unexpectedly.

If anyone had not already been looking at her, they certainly were now. It was dead quiet.

Sir Hugh leaned forward. "I beg your pardon?" he said. His voice was level, but his eyes looked ready to pop from his head.

"The first recorded sighting of cloud cats," said Kate in a loud, carrying voice, "was made by Benjamin Molloy."

Benjamin Molloy. Kate's grandfather.

A murmur swept through the audience. Sir Hugh looked up to flash them a smile before turning back to Kate. "I'm afraid I don't—"

"If you'll recall, Sir Hugh, I sent you a letter regarding his discovery. You dismissed it as the ravings of a lunatic."

"Yes, well..." Sir Hugh cleared his throat, plainly embarrassed. "The cloud cat," he continued in a loud voice, "normally lives its life entirely airborne—never do a cloud cat's feet touch the ground. However, Miss de Vries found one specimen with a crimped wing that had fallen—"

"Mr. Cruse," said Kate.

"What?" said Sir Hugh in annoyance.

"Matt Cruse found it first."

"Whatever," he muttered. "Mr. Matthew Cruse was accompanying Miss de Vries at the time of discovery, both of them having crashed in an airship on the island the cloud cats frequent."

The picture on the projection screen changed to a photograph of the island, presumably taken from an airship.

"It is believed that they return to this island to breed in the fall, and—"

"Actually—" Kate began, but Sir Hugh threw up his hands in frustration.

"Would _you_ like to make this presentation, Miss de Vries?" he said testily.

"That would be wonderful," she said, smiling and walking onto the stage. Matt's face burned red. Sir Hugh stared at her, dumbfounded.

"We don't know if their return to the island is seasonal or random," she explained, slipping into the presentation flawlessly. "All we know for sure is that, four years ago, they congregated around the island for a few days in September. Their bones, as you can see, are hollow like those of birds, which is one of the things that allow them to fly..."

It was good to see her so confident, but it was more than a little cruel of her to upstage Sir Hugh so. Matt knew that Sir Hugh had ruined her presentations once or twice, but he didn't like to think of Kate sinking to Sir Hugh's level.

After Sir Hugh and Kate had come to the end of the cloud cat slides, they reached a slide that showed a picture—taken by Ms. Evelyn Karr, with whom Matt and Kate were very good friends—of a strange fish-like creature that lived in outer space, called an etherian. Sir Hugh had been present when etherians were discovered.

Kate smiled sweetly. "All yours, Sir Hugh," she said, and skipped off the stage.

"You're an evil witch," Matt whispered to her, only half teasing.

She laughed wickedly.

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>AN: In **_**Starclimber,**_** Kate's birthday is said to be in late spring to early summer. I had to put it in September to make the plot work. Consider it an AU, but only in that respect.**


	2. Births and Names

Author's Note: **Holy **_**God**_**, this chapter is long. That's why it took me so long to get it finished—sorry.**

**Lots of dialogue, lots of exposition, not much action. And a ton of smarminess. Eh. Unfortunate but necessary. I actually find this chapter entertaining—just not exciting.**

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><p>Chapter Warnings: <strong>This chapter is pretty tame—one small swearword.<strong>

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><p>...<p>

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><p>He was going to be late. Damn it, he was going to be <em>late!<em>

Stuffing the small package he had just bought into his jacket, Matt bounded for the door of the jeweler's. "Sir!" the cashier shouted. "Don't you want your change?"

"Keep it!" he called back to her, already tearing across the street. The cashier watched the door swing in and out, before pocketing the coins and turning back to her magazine.

There was no time to wait for a taxi; the ship was scheduled to depart in five minutes. Matt tightened his belt and made a beeline for the aero harbor, ruffling the feathers of many a disapproving lady or gentleman in the street.

"There you are!" cried Kate as he crashed onto the airfield. "Cutting it rather close, aren't you?" She couldn't have known that he was buying a gift for her, but he still felt a stab of irritation.

He shook hands with the de Vrieses and Sir John McKinnon. Sir Hugh Snuffler gave him a look that deterred his handshake. The airfield was bustling with activity: crew members were scurrying about tending to a navy-blue airship. Most of them were panting quite as hard as Matt.

"A pleasure, as always, Mr. Cruse," said Sir John. "This is the team of scientists who will be accompanying you on your journey." He gestured to a small, tight-knit group of slouching men in white laboratory coats that were flapping in the morning breeze. They mumbled greetings.

"Why does a zoologist wear a lab coat?" Kate murmured sidelong to Matt. He shrugged, chuckling.

"Now that we're _all_ here," said Sir Hugh with a hint of condescension, "shall we board?"

"By all means!" Sir John replied. "Let us walk and talk."

A burly crew member, who had until now been busily loading their trunks and luggage onto a great rack, began to drag the rack along the pavement behind them as they walked, Sir John chatting obliviously to his labor. Matt almost moved to take the rack himself—cabin boy's instinct—but then he remembered that he was a passenger, not crew, and it would be improper for him to lug bags. Matt scratched the back of his neck to cover the movement and forced himself to turn away from the worker who looked like he should be a mirror image of him. As they approached the airship, Matt saw the loopy gold script on her flank: _Cloudchaser._

"She's a beauty, isn't she?" said Sir John.

"She is very fine, sir," Matt agreed.

"You all will be taking her on her maiden voyage. She's less than half the size of the _Aurora,_ so she can fly about twenty miles faster per hour. If the winds hold, you should reach the island in a few hours more than a day."

"A day!" exclaimed Kate. "I had no idea it would be so fast."

"It only took two days on the _Aurora,_" Matt reminded her.

She looked surprised. "Really? It seemed much longer than that... I suppose that's because those two days were so eventful!"

"The _Cloudchaser_ is equipped in every way possible for the task of following the cloud cats," the Air Minister went on. "It's all pressurized, in case we need to fly above eight thousand feet or so, and the modified ornithopter is all set up in the landing bay. Crew members will be piloting it ahead of the ship to keep track of the pride."

Kate had decided that "pride" was more appropriate than "herd" or "flock," so now they were a _pride_ of cloud cats—the only known cloud cat pride in the world.

They started to climb the gangplank. "Speaking of that modified ornithopter," said Kate, "what name have you come up with for it?"

Sir John blinked. "Name?"

"Of course! Surely it must have a name. It's not really an _ornithopter_ anymore, after all."

"Well, what would you like to call it, Miss de Vries?"

"Actually, I think Mr. Cr—I think Matt should be the one to name it."

After so many months of pretending to be polite acquaintances, Kate and Matt still sometimes called each other "Mr. Cruse" and "Miss de Vries" in company out of habit.

"Me?" Matt raised his eyebrows. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you're the flyer," she said, her eyes twinkling. "I'm just here for zoology."

"But the ornithopter's just here for zoology too," he pointed out.

"What's wrong?" said Kate with an evilly Kateish gleam in her eye. "Are you _afraid_ to name it?"

"No, I just thought you wouldn't be able to resist naming it yourself," Matt retorted. "Let me see... What's another word for 'quiet?'"

"Soft," said Sir John. "Silent."

"Uncommunicative," said Mrs. de Vries helpfully.

"Tacit," said Kate.

"Tacit!" Matt said. "We can call it a tacitothopter."

"Tacitothopter!" laughed Sir John enthusiastically. **"**How splendid!"

"What if the tacitothopter's pilot has to fly very far away from the ship to follow them?" Kate asked.

"Well, I'm glad you asked, Miss de Vries. Incorporated into the tacitothopter's controls is a radio transmitter that sends out a homing beacon every minute or so. The receiver is aboard the _Cloudchaser_, and when it receives a transmission, it sends one of its own—even if you're flying through clouds, you'll always be able to keep track of the tacitothopter and vice-versa."

"Ingenious," said Mr. de Vries.

Sir John smiled. "The _Cloudchaser_ is equivalent to a private charter. It's just you, Sir Hugh and his scientists, and a small crew. A light load on a small vessel. You'll be able to travel fast and turn smoothly."

A crew member saluted Sir John when they walked into the ship. Matt could tell from the golden wheels on the insignia pinned to his chest that he was a sailmaker. "The captain wants to know if we can pull up the gangways, sir," he said. "We're three minutes behind schedule."

"Proceed, Mr. Dussel," said Sir John.

Mr. Dussel and two other men bustled away, and Sir John turned to the party. "This is where I leave you," he said. "I wish you the best of luck on your expedition." He bade goodbye to the rest of the company; Mrs. de Vries kissed him on the cheek. "I'll give your love to your mother, Mr. Cruse!" he called as the hatches were closing, waving from the airfield.

Then the hatch clicked shut and everything was quiet.

The three men who had pulled up the gangway stood before Sir Hugh, towering over him. "Mr. and Mrs. de Vries," said the zoologist, "allow me to introduce you to three of your crew. This is Mr. Andrew Dussel, Mr. Jacob Greenly, and—"

"Baz!" Matt exclaimed, surprised and pleased.

"—Mr. Basil Hilcock," Sir Hugh finished with a hint of disapproval.

"Hey, mate," Baz said to Matt, both of them grinning hugely. He clapped him on the back. "You're looking a little older!" It had been three years since Matt had last seen his closest friend and former cabin mate, as best man at his wedding.

"And you're ancient!" Matt laughed. Baz was now twenty-one years old.

Kate smiled warmly at him. "How ever did you come to work on this ship?" she asked.

His smile faltered. "The _Aurora_'s been going through a lot of changes since Captain Walken retired. I left the _Aurora_, and it was just by chance that I heard you were coming on this trip and needed a crew."

"What sort of changes?" asked Matt, deeply concerned about his former home.

"Oh...Captain Tritus just isn't very friendly with the crew."

"TRITUS?" Matt's voice echoed throughout the ship's wide innards; one of the uncomfortable-looking scientists jumped. _Wolfgang_ _Tritus _was captain of the _Aurora_? How did _that_ happen?

"Yeah," said Baz, sharing his disgust. "Of course, everybody on the _Aurora_'s been keeping track of you in the papers, so we all knew about the Devil's Fist incident. I wasn't the only one who resigned in protest."

A couple of years ago, Captain Tritus had been in charge of the _Flotsam_, a cargo ship on which Matt had been assigned to work part-time as part of an Academy training program. Due to Tritus's reckless behavior and poor leadership, the _Flotsam_ had been tossed through a terrible storm known as the Devil's Fist, nearly crashed into the ocean, and flown to such altitudes that everyone on board had suffered from severe lack of oxygen—resulting in the death of a crew member. The thought of him in command of Matt's beloved _Aurora_—his first real home—made Matt sick.

"The _Aurora_'s a much different ship than when you last saw her," Baz said solemnly.

"Perhaps we should shift to more pleasant matters," said Kate, looking at Matt sympathetically.

"Of course," said Sir Hugh, slipping into Sir John's role of tour guide with considerably less ease than Kate when she had slipped into his own role of presenter at the gala a week ago. "Mr. Dolmann," he said, addressing the brawny man with their luggage, "take that to our rooms—the names should be on the bags. Mr. Hilcock, you may accompany us. It seems you and Mr. Cruse here have some catching up to do."

Matt didn't like the way Sir Hugh treated the crew members like _he _was captain; he reminded him of some of the more pompous first-class passengers of the _Aurora._

Matt, Kate, Kate's parents, Sir Hugh, Baz, and the four other zoologists all trooped along the catwalk, looking up at the metal skeleton of the _Cloudchaser_ and the glistening, bubble-like gas cells. Baz led the way, talking amiably, to the control car. He knocked on the door and swung it open, and they were met by a trim-looking man with striking grey eyes and a black mustache, his short-cropped hair covered by his captain's hat.

"Hello, Sir Hugh," he said in a mixed-European accent. "And company."

"Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain, Fritz Ferdinand," said Sir Hugh. "He'll be flying us all to the island and beyond."

"How charming it is to meet you, Captain Ferdinand," said Mrs. de Vries, extending her hand in much the same formal way she had extended it to Matt at the gala.

"Lady de Vries." He took her hand and kissed it. Mrs. de Vries's husband grunted.

Introductions were made and Captain Ferdinand informed them of their planned course. "I would personally give you the tour myself," he said, "but we're a bit behind schedule—I have work to do in here."

"We understand," Sir Hugh said.

"That reminds me," said Baz, "there's something you'll want to see before we take off." He grinned.

Baz led them off the catwalk and down a corridor in the small passenger section, up to a door in the side of the ship. Next to the door was a stack of chairs. Baz picked up nine of the chairs off the stack. Matt opened the door for him, and was surprised by what he saw.

The door opened onto an outside deck—a sort of patio, attached to the hull of the _Cloudchaser_, with a metal railing all around it. At the moment, the only view it offered was that of the smoky, industrial airfield and the buzz of workers' activity, but during the flight, if the ship was ever low enough to allow for it, it would have a glorious view of the clouds, sun and stars—not to mention the sky air flowing over it.

"What is this?" said Matt in delight.

"I thought you'd like it," his friend said.

They walked onto the deck, into the sunlight. Matt could only imagine what takeoff would feel like without the airship around him or the glass dome of the crow's nest.

"My goodness!" said Mrs. de Vries. "A brand new type of ornithopter, pressurized insides, and now an outside deck—is there anything this ship doesn't have?"

"Isn't it wonderful, darling?" said Mr. de Vries to his daughter.

"It is," Kate replied, smiling at him.

Baz had just finished setting out the chairs. "Please," he said, "take a seat. I can move a chair under the awning if anyone would like to sit in the shade." He gestured to the canvas awning that extended a few feet out over the door.

"We'll be fine, thank you," said Mrs. de Vries. She sat down and crossed her legs elegantly. "What a lovely place to relax and enjoy the air."

"It was my idea," said Sir Hugh. He sat down with the others. "When Sir John and I were planning this endeavor, I thought it would be good to have a unique, innovative way to enjoy..."

Matt's attention wandered from Sir Hugh's self-praising speech. He noticed the other zoologists, looking sallow and pale in the sunlight, not talking or listening or looking at anybody. An ostentatious critic, a sulky quartet of scientists, and a couple of smarmy parents. What company they kept on this trip.

As Sir Hugh yet continued, Matt stood up and walked to the rail, looking out at the horizon and down at the aero harbor. Kate strolled over to join him, placing one hand on the rail and looping the other through his arm. "Aren't they perfectly horrid?" she said softly.

He chuckled. "I hope we don't have to go too high—all our oxygen will be sucked up."

She stifled her laughter in a hand, and Matt looked out over the balusters to conceal his grin.

Sir Hugh was now telling Kate's parents all about the cloud cats. "...hollow, like a bird, light as a feather," he was saying. "Isn't that right, Miss de Vries?"

Kate nodded to him and then muttered "Miss de Vries, Miss de Vries, Miss de Vries. When will I just be _Kate_? Or better yet," she added thoughtfully, "when will I be Mrs. Cruse?"

Suddenly there was a pleasant downward pressure in Matt's stomach. Thinking it was because of what Kate had just said, it took him a moment to realize that everyone else was feeling it as well.

"Isn't that a peculiar sensation," said Mrs. de Vries.

The _Cloudchaser_ was taking to the skies.

It was just like a takeoff experienced from the crow's nest of the Aurora—he felt the movement in his belly and his legs, and he saw the land sliding away—only it was _better_. He could feel the wind washing over him; the air was his element, and he was more aware of it now than he had ever been before. The wings of every seabird riding this same air were his very own. He had become scarcely aware of his unsavory traveling companions; in fact, most of his mind had flowed into his body, intensely feeling the air currents.

This was incredible, it really was. He felt that he could go his whole life needing nothing—no food, no water, nothing—other than takeoff and flight. The sun and wind striking him, soaring into the sky... Nothing was better. Kate stood beside him in her wide-brimmed hat, laughing at his euphoria.

"Your attention please," said the voice of the captain after a few minutes of bliss. Matt looked around; he hadn't noticed the loudspeaker affixed to the ship above the deck. "At this point, if the passengers would please return to the ship. We are approaching an altitude of low air pressure."

The ship had indeed risen quite fast. It was a good thing the sky was clear; they were right on cloud level.

Baz met them at the door to collect the chairs and inform them that they would be dining with the captain come evening. "Until then," he said, "Captain Ferdinand requests a joint meeting between one crew member and the zoologist team to finalize our strategy for studying the cloud cats. That crew member'll be me. Your luggage has already been brought to your cabins—I'll lead you there now so you can unpack and get comfortable."

He led each of them to their cabin along the corridor, until only Matt and Kate were left. "Here's your cabin, _sir_," he said playfully, opening the door for Matt.

"Thanks," said Matt.

"Does that leave us to go to the zoologists' meeting?" asked Kate brightly.

"Yes, ma'am. Follow me."

They set off back down the corridor, leaving Matt with his luggage.

He closed the cabin door and began to unpack, looking forward to the one-day trip to the island and the weeks' voyage that would follow. His room was spacious, full of empty drawer chests, with a generous bed against one wall and a circular porthole above it. He wasn't entirely comfortable with such large accommodations, having become used to the small lodgings of a crew member, but there was certainly nothing to complain about.

He could imagine the journey ahead many different ways. He could picture it as a romantic adventure, a quest that took them back to this wondrous place from their childhood to see the cloud cats, the majestic beasts that would always have a special connection with Matt. But he could also picture it as a miserable fortnight dampened by Kate's busy schedule and her meddling parents.

He sighed. The sun was shining bright through his porthole, but there were some clouds.

* * *

><p>Hours later, everyone was heading to the dining room for dinner with the captain. Kate caught up to Matt in the corridor; she put her hands around his arm.<p>

"Hello," she said. "How are you doing?"

"Is it scientifically possible to die of boredom?" he asked in reply, with a crooked smile.

She chuckled. "Sorry. The meeting with those stuffy old men took quite long, didn't it? Your friend Baz was very patient. He winked at me a few times when they acted particularly horrid. The tacitothopter's really going to be something, Matt. I can't wait till we see it in action."

By the time she had finished talking to him, they were taking their seats. Not that he minded—he loved her talkativeness. Indeed, he was feeling rather affectionate toward Kate when they sat down.

It was a very large table covered in a white cloth, laden with ten clean plates. Sir Hugh, the de Vrieses, the other zoologists, and Matt all together left one empty seat. After a minute or so, the door to the kitchen opened and Captain Ferdinand entered.

The captain smiled around at everyone. "Good evening," he said. "Is everybody satisfied with their experience on the _Cloudchaser_ thus far?"

"Very much, thank you," said Kate.

"Excellent." The captain pulled out the empty chair and sat down at the table.

Baz came in with arms full of platters covered by silver domes, laying them on the table. He took their drink orders and hurried off again. "Isn't Baz going to eat?" asked Matt in confusion, watching as his friend left the room.

"Not with _us_!" said Sir Hugh, as though the very idea was preposterous. "Crew don't dine with passengers."

Everyone looked at him strangely. "Right," he said. "Of course not." He knew that; what was wrong with him? He supposed he just wasn't used to watching his best friend wait on him while he ate.

"So," said the captain once everyone had been served. "I apologize for the relative lack of activity, Mr. Cruse and Mr. and Mrs. de Vries. There won't be much excitement until we reach the island."

"That's quite alright—" said Matt, but Mrs. de Vries cut in.

"Yes," she said politely, "but I do have some concerns about the size of our rooms."

Captain Ferdinand smiled. "I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. de Vries, but I believe it's only _your_ room."

Mrs. de Vries's smile stayed plastered on her face, but her eyes widened indignantly.

"You see," said the captain, "as you might be able to tell from her name and specializations, the _Cloudchaser_ was constructed especially for this purpose. And originally, we planned on having only seven guests."

Mrs. de Vries seemed to force herself to swallow something she did not care for at all. "I see," she said after gulping.

"It'll be fine, darling," said Mr. de Vries, putting a hand on her shoulder. He looked back to the captain and Sir Hugh. "The _Cloudchaser_ is clearly a state-of-the-art airship, gentlemen. Surely it'll have a destiny beyond our expedition."

Sir Hugh smiled indulgently. "You're correct, sir. Though this voyage is first and foremost a zoological endeavor, our ship is the prime example of a great deal of all-new technology that we're confident will spread to airships and ornithopters of every make and model."

"This is truly a vessel of the future," said Captain Ferdinand proudly.

"I don't know..." said Kate, seemingly to herself. Sir Hugh gave her a disapproving look, but stayed quiet.

"I'm sorry, Miss de Vries, I'm afraid I don't..."

"Well..." Kate made a noise of uncertainty. "It's just that...aren't we taking a bit of a risk with all this?"

Captain Ferdinand smiled as if Kate were a young child. "Fear not, Miss de Vries—the pressurization, the tacitothopter, the external deck—it's all quite as safe as it is innovative."

Kate gave him a matching smile. "I'm sure," she said, "but—"

"Kate," said her mother. Her voice and face were amiable, but she laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "The man knows what he's talking about." _Better than you_.

"You'll get to see all of it fully utilized when we catch up to the cloud cats," the captain continued. "And that will be quite soon, I predict."

"It's just about a day until we get there, right?" Matt asked.

The captain nodded. "Twenty-four hours from now," he said, "we'll be arriving at the cloud cats' island. Twenty-four hours from now, our real work begins."

* * *

><p>Riding in the <em>Cloudchaser<em> was a unique experience for Matt in many ways. Over the years he'd gotten used to being on an airship as a passenger rather than part of the crew, but he was completely thrown off by the idea of Baz serving him. Now he knew what Kate had felt like on the _Aurora_ and the _Starclimber_. Having one of his best friends pour him a glass of brandy, or clear away his plate for him, made him feel selfish and ugly. Matt always caught the dancing mirth in Baz's eyes whenever Baz was waiting on him—as though it were a fine joke—but Matt didn't find it funny in the least. He didn't bother offering to help the eight-man crew; it simply wasn't done in such a formal setting.

Apart from Kate and Baz, his favorite person by far was Captain Ferdinand. The captain was courteous and intuitive; he was rather like the old Captain Walken, though slightly tougher with his crew and less omnipotently reassuring. Unfortunately, he was not as fond of some others on the voyage.

Sir Hugh Snuffler was frustrating company. Sir Hugh particularly enjoyed talking about the technological advancements of the ship; Matt could not spend ten minutes with the man without hearing something about pressurization or the tacitothopter. Apparently Sir Hugh had been involved in the making of these modifications, and he certainly never missed a chance to show off.

The zoologist team was largely asocial for the duration of the trip. Occasionally Matt saw one of them shuffle past him in the corridor, but they never stopped to talk. This was fine by him; it was not that the scientists were rude, but their obvious conversational discomfort was somewhat infectious. Matt didn't understand it; he would've thought most zoologists would be friendly and outgoing, lovers of animals and familiar with the sun.

Kate's parents were pleasant enough, but they seemed to have only a superficial interest in him. They made small talk, and they spoke about Kate, but little more. As for Kate herself, he often spent time with her—or tried to, at any rate. It seemed that whenever they had a moment alone, one of her parents entered the room and started a conversation, or Baz came in to tell them that their next meal with the captain was ready or Kate was requested in a conference of the zoologists. That was one of the less appealing aspects of the voyage: everything everyone did was scheduled, and the schedule did not include any private time for Kate and Matt.

But, he reminded himself, this wasn't about their romantic relationship. It was about the cloud cats. They'd be at the island soon, and then it would be all about tracking and charting. Kate didn't seem to mind. It was a scientific atmosphere; Kate was in her element.

In a way, Matt was in his element too. The sky was his home. He belonged in the open air. But something about this particular voyage…stifled it.

On the day they were to arrive at the cloud cats' island, Matt was sitting in the lounge with a cup of tea and nothing to do. Kate walked in and saw him.

"Hello, you," she said warmly. "How's the voyage treating you?"

"It's very luxurious," Matt replied.

"But you aren't enjoying it."

"I didn't say—"

The smirk on Kate's face silenced him. Matt smiled; she did know him well. "I just like sailing to be more...free."

"On the _Aurora_ you were a crew member. Was that more free than this?"

"In some ways," Matt said.

She walked over to him and started to rub his shoulders. "It's very different from treasure hunting and adventuring, isn't it."

"I liked our life before," he admitted.

"What are you missing most?" she asked.

He smiled wryly. "You."

She chuckled. "We haven't exactly been alone together very much."

As if on cue, the door opened. It was Baz. "Pardon me," he said. "We've arrived."

The island. Matt stood up quickly, and he and Kate followed Baz. They went out onto the external deck—and there it was.

It was strange to see this place again after three years. The island looked exactly as Matt remembered it: a ring of sandy beaches giving way to thick green jungle, and grey, imposing mountains rising out of the middle. Perhaps that was why it seemed so strange—everything else had changed infinitely in those three years, and here this island had been the whole time, quietly and stubbornly remaining. Maybe that meant the cloud cats' migration had stayed the same as well.

"I suppose we ought to name it," said Kate beside him, also looking out at their island.

Matt laughed.

"What?" she said, askance. "Don't _you_ think this island should have a name? The place where I—we—discovered the cloud cats? The place where we _fell in love_?"

Sensing danger, Matt stopped. "Of course it should," he said. "But I'll leave that to you. I already got to come up with a name for the tacitothopter."

Her face glowed. "Oh, I was hoping you'd say that!" She gave him a brief hug and then adopted a thoughtful expression. "Hmm… If only I knew more Latin..."

"Latin? Why not just call it 'Cloud Cat Island?'"

She frowned. "It's just... Well, 'Cloud Cat Island'... It's rather _plain_, isn't it?"

Matt laughed again. "Alright, well, I don't know _any_ Latin, so you're on your own."

"Hmm... How about 'Terra Caelum?'"

"Sounds great," he said. "What's it mean?"

"It's Latin for 'land of the sky.'"

Matt smiled. "That" he said "is a perfect name. Welcome to Terra Caelum."

The zoologists were already out. Matt and Kate walked over to the rail together.

"Look," said Baz. "We've got company."

Some one hundred feet away from them, a large group of grey winged animals were congregated in the air.

"Cloud cats!" cried Kate in delight. "Oh, Mr. Hilcock, is there a spyglass somewhere?"

Baz hurried back inside and returned with four or five mounted spyglasses on wheels. He secured them in latches at the railing of the deck. "Have at it," he said.

Kate, Matt, and a couple of the scientists each took a spyglass and watched the pride in awe. It sent chills down Matt's back to see them like this again. They glided about in a large cloud of animals, hardly flapping at all, never having to touch the ground once in their whole lives.

"This is breeding season for them," said Kate. "If we're lucky we might see a—_birth!_"

A split second later, Matt saw what she had spotted: a grey-brown mass plummeting down toward the island. Everyone on the ship watched, transfixed. For a moment, Matt wondered if this one would be like _his _cloud cat; would it be unable to spread its wings, and fall on to the island? But no—there, it was getting the hang of it. Two slimy folds of stretched fabric extended from the falling mass, and the little creature took its clumsy first flaps. Now it was soaring through the air. Now it was flying back to join its mother….

He looked over at Kate. Her eyes were glimmering and wet. "It's exactly like your grandfather described it," Matt said to her.

She wiped her eyes.

They got to see three more midair births—the zoologists taking notes furiously—and then the pride seemed to be getting fainter.

"They're leaving," said Baz. "Here we go."

Matt felt a flutter of excitement. This was it.

"Would you like to see the tacitothopter's first real mission?" Baz asked.

"Oh, please," said Kate.

They took the spyglasses back inside, and Baz led them down the catwalk to the tacitothopter's landing bay. Presently Matt saw the tacitothopter for the first time.

It was recognizable as something related to an ornithopter in its shape and basic evident function, but quite different. It appeared to have a hollow metallic skeleton stretched over with fabric—rather like an airship. Matt could see bulges in it which he suspected were filled with hydrium, and one part entirely encased in metal where the Aruba fuel surely was. And there were the propellers—odd-looking things, which he suspected was because they were designed to be quiet. The wings were larger than normal and their joints were covered in something that probably helped to silence them. Matt's eyes traveled up the smooth, streamlined shape of the machine to the pilot's cockpit.

Henry Dussel was already lowering the glass dome over himself when they arrived. Matt saw him give a thumbs-up sign to Jacob Greenly, who was controlling the trapeze with a series of levers.

The hatch slid open; the tacitothopter was now hanging by its trapeze over the open sky. Dussel threw a switch, and the tacitothopter broke away.

It fell into the air and began to fly—making no sound, of course—after the distant cloud cat pride. In addition to its silence, it was impressively aerodynamic. A rather ingenious feature was that it seemed to be able to _twist _slightly as it moved. It almost approached the airborne grace of cloud cats themselves. Matt liked the tacitothopter better than regular ornithopters; it was much less obnoxious and seemed altogether more like it _belonged_ in the air.

"There's a small circular movement to its wingflaps," said Baz. "Helps make it skyworthy, like a bumblebee."

"It seems very animal-inspired," Matt observed.

"Oh yes. The design was based on ornithopters and flying animals—including the cloud cats."

Matt could see that Kate was itching to try out the tacitothopter for herself. Her eyes followed its every move eagerly; she made a little involuntary movement forward every time Dussel made a particularly impressive maneuver. As the tacitothopter and the cloud cats soared through the air, it was as if there was a shared passion and euphoria between Matt and Kate. Matt breathed in the high-sky air and closed his eyes.

* * *

><p>The next day was Kate's birthday. Everyone on the <em>Cloudchaser<em> was aware, and they did their best to make it as festive a birthday as could be done aboard an airship mid-flight. Little cakes were delivered to the meeting of the zoologists; Kate found herself with an unusual amount of free time; a special candlelit table was reserved for her and her family at dinner; and everybody—even the crew—had a gift for her.

Kate, her parents, and Matt, were sitting at their own table in the evening. Baz and Dussel had just finished singing a festive duet while they waited for dinner to be prepared, and the window next to the table was showing a very nice starry sky.

Kate clapped enthusiastically when the duet finished. "I didn't know you could sing, Baz," she said.

"Like a parrot," said Matt, grinning.

Baz was summoned back to the kitchen, and everyone took a sip of their drinks while they waited.

"I'd like to say, Kate, how proud we all are of you," said Mr. de Vries warmly. "You've grown into an amazing young woman."

Kate blushed a little. "Well, thank you, father!"

"We've had our disagreements, but I know you're ready and eager to make your mark on the world. You're so talented and mature and intelligent—we know you'll be all right."

"Of course, we're very proud of our girl's fiancé as well," Mrs. de Vries added. "Watch officer of a first-class airship, and then treasure hunter, and astralnaut!"

Matt smiled nervously, hoping he looked gracious. Every time one of Kate's parents said "watch officer," the words rang deafeningly in his head.

Baz entered the room carrying dinner, as Kate's parents continued to praise Matt and make him feel steadily guiltier.

"An exceptional young man you are," Mrs. de Vries continued. "You're incredibly accomplished for someone so young—and quite a hero as well."

"A _hero_..." said Matt uncomfortably. "Goodness. I don't know—"

"Humility can't fool us, son," said Mr. de Vries with a wink. "We know how bravely you protected our Kate when you were working as the _Aurora_'s watch officer."

Baz, who had been laying a plate in front of Sir Hugh, looked up sharply. He caught Matt's eye; Matt stared intensely at the arrangement of his peas.

As Baz served her, Kate said "Oh, thank you all for such a wonderful day! I loved the little cakes we got at the zoologists' meeting. Did you make them, Baz?"

Baz nodded. "You're very lively in those meetings, Miss de Vries. Zoology is a passion, isn't it?"

For some reason, both of Kate's parents looked down at their hands at this.

"Oh yes," Kate said brightly. "I intend to make it my life's pursuit."

"She has a gift," said Matt.

"Speaking of gifts," said Kate's mother with a smile, changing the subject abruptly, "we have some for you, darling."

"Oh," said Kate. "How lovely."

Her father pulled a long red box from beneath her chair and set it on the table. "This one's from me."

Kate picked the lid up and said "Oo, what a pretty dress!" She held up a glittering silver gown with frilly trim.

"Yes, I saw it and thought immediately of you, sweetheart," said Mr. de Vries, rubbing his daughter's arm.

Matt could have sworn that Kate looked a bit offended.

"Now me," said Mrs. de Vries. She presented Kate with three small velvety boxes.

Kate opened them. "Oh!" she exclaimed. There was a matching set of a necklace and earrings strung with fine golden chains that ended in intricately set jewels of deep green, red, and purple; and another necklace, this one a string of perfect pearls. "How _very _lovely," Kate asserted. "Really."

Matt concealed a grin; he knew what Kate's face and voice were like when she was pretending to be happy.

"And what about you, Mr. Cruse?" said Kate's mother. "What's your present?"

Kate looked at him expectantly, smiling.

In his pocket, Matt fingered the amber pendant necklace he'd bought for her at the jeweler's shop. Not only was it thoroughly eclipsed by the extravagant gems her parents had given her, but Kate didn't seem to be very thrilled with those presents. "Er," he said. "I'll give it to you later. It's not for here."

"Oo, a surprise," said Kate. "When will I get to see it?"

"Soon, don't worry," Matt replied. "You'll love it."

"I'm sure I will," she said, and she sounded sincere.

_I hope so_, Matt thought anxiously. He didn't want to disappoint her, as her parents had, but what could he find to give her on a flying airship?

The stars twinkled overhead as the _Cloudchaser_ followed the homing signal of the tacitothopter. But as the crew member in the tacitothopter gazed at the cloud cat herd, and Kate and her family finished up dinner and headed off to bed, no one even looking at the stars, one of them went out.


End file.
